Wrinkle resisting cloth



Patented Feb. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE No Drawing. Application April 11, 1938, Serial No. 201,331

' 21 Claim.

This invention relates to a clgth which has very high wrinkle resistant properties which, although it can be produced from relatively cheap yarns, provides a cloth having all of the superior 5 properties and appearance of expensive materials as to wrinkle resisting qualities when compared with such more expensive materials.

Many attempts have been made to improve the cloths used under conditions in which re- 10 sistance to wrinkle is important. This has been especially true in the case of fabrics used for making men's neck ties which in tying are drawn 'to a tight knot and retained in such a condition for long periods of time. Thus far, the

15 only reasonably satisfactory materials for such ties have been the very expensive fabrics making the cost of ties relatively high. The less expensive materials while provided with desirable patterns and in some cases generally satisfactory so appearance when used for making ties have been entirely unsatisfactory because when once tied the creases made in the cloth have been substantially permanent and can be removed only with the greatest of dimculty.

25 While the problem of wrinkle resisting cloth is particularly important in the case of material for neck ties, it is also a factor in the use of materials for other conventional purposes.

This invention seeks to provide a wrinkle resisting cloth from relatively inexpensive materials that has superior properties to those which have heretofore been produced even when made from much more expensive materials and with diflicult or complicated methods.

' An important object of the invention resides in providing a wrinkle resisting cloth that can be produced at a low cost and by a process which can be easily conducted.

A further object resides in providing a process for producing cloth which involves a minimum number of steps bearing a close interrelation in the production of cloth having unique properties on the basis of the fibers which are used in the construction of the cloth.

Further objects will be hereinafter specifically set forth or apparent from the following detailed description which is to be considered as illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the invention and not a limitation thereof.

50 To produce a cloth having the properties above set forth and other desirable properties for the purposes in question, filament rayon, cotton or other fiber of high or low twist which is to be used as the warp thread is preferably skein dyed 5 in a high or low temperature bath with a fast color. By fast color, as here employed, is meant a color which when applied to the fibers or threads will not be aflected by the other steps of the process and particularly the finishing steps as hereinafter set forth. Similarly, the filling 5 threads, which are preferably spun rayon, but may be linen or spun acetate with or without admixture of other fibers. are also skein dyed with a fast color in a low or high temperature bath.

It has been found that by using a warp of high 10 twist for the filling threads instead of the usual low filling twist that improved results are obtained. In some cases, other dyeing treatments may be employed or all dyeing may be omitted depending'upon the type and character of the finished cloth desired. Alternatively, the dyeing may be done after the cloth is woven as by piece dyeing in which case a high twist in the filling threads is particularly advantageous. After the preliminary dyeing treatment as above set forth, the cloth may be woven with the filament rayon as the warp and spun rayon as the filling. The principal thread, not necessarily quantitative, would be the filling which is of spun rayon. In alternative combinations, the principal thread could be spun rayon, spun acetate or linen.

After the cloth is woven, it may be singed or sheared to remove the hairlike fibers normally found on the surface of the cloth. Complete removal of these hairlike fibers is not necessary but simply a removal to the extent that any remaining hairlike fibers are invisible to the eye. In some cases the singeing or shearing may be done in the final finishing operation or repeated at that time. 3

At this point as a preliminary to the step following, the woven cloth is preferably boiled or otherwise treated to remove any extraneous matter, such as sizing. that is in the yarn.

When the extraneous matter has been removed, the cloth is treated by the application of resinous materials which will, as is now understood, impregnate the fibers or possibly the individual yarns but will not fill the interstices between the yarns. After the application of the resinous material to the fibers, the proper size and shape of the material is obtained by putting it on a tentering frame or other similar apparatus and drying the material while stretched to shape.

The dried material impregnated with resin is somewhat stiffer and therefore the resins are broken up into very small particles within the fibers. Conveniently, this is attained by passing the material through a button breaker thereby giving the cloth a soft feel. as

To produce a finished material the cloth is calendered and given further finishing treatments which may include the addition of sizing followed by stretching to the proper size and shape.

By following the procedure as above outlined there is produced by this process a new and unusual cloth particularly distinguishable in that it has a resistance to wrinkle far superior to that heretofore attained.

It will be appreciated, of course, that many variations in the process are contemplated without departing from the underlying principles of the invention. In practicing the invention it has been found preferable to skein dye the artificial silk yarns which are used in the cloth. However, other forms of dye and the use of naphthol and .vat dyes have in some cases proved successful. The important consideration being that where the thread is to be dyed it must be given such treatment as will dye the thread so that it can satisfactorily withstand the subsequent steps of the process and particularly that involving the application of the resinous materials.

In the selection of threads a wide variation is possible, for example, if the warp thread is made of filament rayon, the filling may be linen, spun acetate, wool or preferably spun rayon. Again, employing. spun rayon which has been skein dyed as the warp the filling may be linen, spun acetate, wool, pure silk or preferably filament rayon.

In some cases it may be desirable to use cotton thread in the warp whereupon the filling should be spun rayon, filament rayon, spun acetate, linen or wool. Where linen threads form the warp a wide choice of filling threads is possible including spun rayon, cotton, spun acetatef filament rayon, wool and pure silk. Where it is desirable to employ woolen warp threads the filling may be linen, cotton, spun acetate, spun rayon or filament rayon. Pure skein dyed natural silk as the warp may be woven with a 'filling of spun rayon, linen, spun acetate or a composite thread of wool and spun rayon. Although a large number of combinations are possible it has been found that to secure the best results the principal thread in the cloth should be composed of fast dyed filament rayon, spun rayon or linen. It will be understood, of course, that instead of employing yarns made from a single type offiber mixed fibers can also be successfully used. The invention finds its special application to the improvement in the relatively inexpensive artificial silk threads.

Before the cloth is woven, certain of the threads may be gassed" i. e., the threads may be singed to remove the hairlike fibers. This treatment usually ob'viates any further singeing or shearing after the cloth has been woven.

The invention is not limited to any particular construction of the woven cloth and is applicable to any of the various basic weaves such as tabby, satin, twill or various modifications of these weaves.

Where the threads have been "gassed it is usually not necessary to singe or shear the cloth to remove the hairlike fibers which would otherwise be found on the cloth surface. Where the threads have not been pretreated before being woven into the cloth, it is desirable to improve the appearance of the cloth by removing these hairlike fibers. This is most conveniently accomplished by passing the cloth'rapidly through ablythis step of breaking up the resinous matea carefully controlled gas flame which burns the highly inflammable hairlike fibers without deleteriously affecting the cloth itself.

As is well known, many threads, particularly when of soft twist, require substantial sizing to 5 twist, thread sizing or sizing between the warp beam and the loom proper. Where sizings have been required, the sizing material should be removed before the resin treatment because the sizing fills the spaces between the fibers which make up the yarn making it difficult or impossible for .the resins to fill these spaces by displacing the sizing material. Therefore it is preferable to treat the cloth in any of the known ways, as for example, by boiling to dissolve out or remove the greater portion or all of the sizing.

Such treatment conditions the cloth for the apso plication of the resins.

To secure satisfactory impregnation of the threads by the resinous material, it has been found preferable to treat the cloth with either the unreacted or partially reacted constituents of the resin and then complete the formation of 35 the resin or harden it after impregnation has been secured. For example. proper amounts of phenol and formaldehyde partially reacted in the presence of a condensing agent is applied to the cloth under conditions insuring impregnation. The temperature is then gradually raised to remove water or other volatile constituents until a temperature is obtained which will set the resin. This temperature must be below that at which the cloth is aflected. Various modifications in the resin impregnation of cloth have been proposed others will be apparent.

It has heretofore been suggested that the application of resinous materials to cloth will improve the wrinkle resisting qualities of the cloth but this step of resin impregnation, in and of itself and without the cooperation of other steps of the process as herein outlined, is not sufilclent to provide products having the high wrinkle resisting properties such as are produced by following the teachings of this invention.

When the material has been thoroughly impregnated with the resin it must be shaped and dried to restore it to its original or nearly original size and shape which may conveniently be done on a tentering frame. This step may be included with or directly connected with the step of applying and setting the resins.

The material, while having some wrinkle resisting properties at this stage, is substantially improved by the subsequent treatment of thoroughly breaking up the resinous material into very small particles within the fibers. Prefersurface. In addition'to improving the wrinkle 75 resisting properties of the cloth, this treatment gives the cloth a soft feel.

To complete the process the cloth is then preferably calendered and finished, these steps including, where desirable, the addition of sizing and again stretching the cloth to its proper size and shape.

As a result of the practice of this process there is provided a cloth of high wrinkle resisting properties with a soft feel and of any desired weave or pattern. Cloth produced according to the teachings of this invention and made up into neckties has been tightly knotted and kept in this condition for several weeks yet when untied the necktie assumed its normal fiat condition with out apparent wrinkle at the places where it was tied.

While the invention has been described with reference to specific details as to all of the steps involved, it will be apparent that variations may be made in these details without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The process for making wrinkle resisting cloth which comprises dyeing spun rayon yarn with a fast color, forming a fabric in which the spun rayon is the principal thread, impregnating the fibers of the fabric with a resin and after drying the fabric mechanically distorting the fabricto disrupt the bonds between the resinous particles and break up the particles.

2. The process for making wrinkle resisting cloth which comprises skein dyeing filament rayon with a fast color, skein dyeing spun rayon with a fast color, weaving the filament rayon as the warp with the spun rayon as filling, removing the hairlike fibers from the surface of the cloth as by singeing, removing non-fibrous and sizing materials from the cloth, impregnating the individual fibers of the yarns with a resin and setting the resin in the fibers, drying the cloth, breaking up the resin particles with which the cloth is impregnated and disrupting the bonds between the resinous particles, calendering the cloth and finishing the said cloth to size and shape.

3. The process for making wrinkle resisting cloth from a fabric in which the principal thread is selected from the group consisting of spun rayon, spun acetate and linen which comprises removing non-fibrous and sizing material from the threads of the cloth, impregnating the individual fibers of the principal threads with a resin, setting the resin in the impregnated fibers, mechanically distorting the set resin particles to break them up and disrupt the bonds of the resin particles and finishing the cloth.

4. The process for making wrinkle resisting cloth from a fabric in which the principal thread is selected from the group consisting of spun rayon, spun acetate and linen which comprises removing the hairlike fibers from the surface of the cloth as by singeing, removing non-fibrous and sizing material from the threads of the cloth, impregnating the individual fibers of the principal threads with a resin, setting the resin in the impregnated fibers, mechanically distorting the set resin particles to break them up and disrupt the bonds between the particles and finishing the cloth.

5. The process for making wrinkle resisting cloth from a fabric in which the principal thread is selected from the group consisting of spun rayon, spun acetate and linen which comprises removing the hairlike fibers from the surface of the cloth as by singeing. impr k ating the individual fibers of the principal threads with a resin, setting the resin in the impregnated fibers, mechanically distorting the set resin particles to break them up and disrupt the bonds between the particles and finishing the cloth.

6. The process for making wrinkle resisting cloth from a fabric in which the principal thread is selected from the group consisting of spun rayon, spun acetate and linen which comprises impregnating the individual fibers of the principal threads with a resin, setting the resin in the impregnated fibers, mechanically distorting the set resin particles to break them up and disrupt thebonds between the particles and finishing the cloth.

'I. The process for making wrinkle resisting cloth from a fabric including threads selected from the group consisting of spun rayon, spun fabric a resin finish and after the resin has been set subjecting the fabric to mechanical deformation to break up the resin particles and disrupt the bond between the particles.

8. The process for making wrinkle resisting cloth which comprises skein dyeing filament rayon with a fast color, skein dyeing spun rayon with a fast color, weaving the spun rayon as the warp with the filament rayon as filling, removing the hairlike fibers from the surface of the cloth as by singeing, removing non-fibrous and sizing materials from the cloth, impregnating the individual fibers of the yarns with a resin and setting the resin in the fibers, drying the cloth, breaking up the resin particlesjwith which the cloth is impregnated and disrupting the bonds between the resinous particles, calendaring the cloth and finishing the said cloth to size and shape.

9. The process for making wrinkle resisting cloth which comprises skein dyeing filament rayon with a fast color, skein dyeing spun rayon with a fast color at least one of said rayon yarns including another fiber, weaving the filament rayon as the warp with the spun rayon as filling, removing the hairlike fibers from the surface of the cloth as by singeing, removing non-fibrous and sizing materials from the cloth, impregnating the individual fibers of the yarns with a resin and setting the resin in the fibers, drying the cloth, breaking up the resin particles with which the cloth is impregnated and disrupting the bonds between the resinous particles, calendering the cloth and finishing the said cloth to size and shape.

10. The process for making wrinkle resisting cloth which comprises fast dyeing filament rayon with a fast color, fast dyeing spun rayon with a fast color, weaving the filament rayon as the warp with the spun rayon as filling, removing the hairlike fibers from the surface of the cloth as by singeing, removing non-fibrous and sizing materials from the cloth, impregnating the individual fibersof the yarns with a resin and setting the resin in the fibers, drying the cloth, breaking up the resin particles with which the cloth is impregnated anddisrupting the bonds between the resinous particles, calendaring the spun acetate and linen the individual fibers of acetate and linen whichcomprises giving the which are impregnated with a set resin the individual particles whereof are broken and the bonds between which are disrupted.

12. As an article of manufacture wrinkle resisting cloth having a fast dyed filament rayon warp and a fast dyed spun rayon filling the individual fibers of which are impregnated with a set resin the individual particles whereof are broken and the bonds between which are disrupted.

13. As ,an' article of manufacture wrinkle resisting cloth having a fast dyed filament rayon filling and a fast dyed spun rayon warp the individual fibers of which are impregnated with a set resin the individual particles whereof are broken and the bonds between which are disrupted.

14. As an article of manufacture wrinkle resisting cloth having spun rayon threads in one,

direction and filament rayon 'threads in the other, at least one of said threads including wool fibers the individual fibers of which threads are principal threads with a resin, setting the resin in the impregnated fibers, mechanically distorting the set resin particles to break them up and disrupt the bonds between the particles and finishing the cloth.

16. As an article of manufacture wrinkle resisting cloth having a fast dyed filament rayon warp and a fast dyed high twist spun rayon filling the individual fibers of which are impregnated with a set resin the individual particles whereof are broken and the bonds between which are disrupted.

17. As an article of manufacture wrinkle resisting cloth having a high twist filling the principal thread of which cloth is selected from the group consisting of spun rayon, spun acetate and linen the individual fibers of which are impregnated with a set resin the individual particles whereof are broken and the bonds between which are disrupted.

18. The process of making wrinkle resisting cloth comprising forming a fabric in which the threads are selected from the group consisting at least principally of rayon. acetate and linen and wherein onelseries' 01' threads is formed of skein. dyed spun yarn and the other series of threads is, formed, ,of skein dyed filament yarn, removing the hair-like fibres from the surface of the fabric, -impregnating the fabric with a resin and disrupting the bonds of the individual particles of the resin.

20. The process of making wrinkle resisting cloth comprising'iforming a fabric in which the series of warp threads and the series of filling threads are selected from the group consisting at least principally of rayon, acetate and linen and wherein one series of threads is formed of skein dyed spun yarn and the other series of threads lsformed of skein dyed filament yarn, removing the-hair-like' .fibres from the surface of the fabric, removing non-fibrous and sizing materials from the fabric 'impregnating the fabric with a resin and disrupting the bonds of the individual particles of resin.

21. The process of making wrinkle resisting cloth comprising forming a fabric in which the series of warp threads and the series of filling threads are selected'from the group consisting at least principally of rayon, acetate and linen and wherein one series of threads is formed of skein dyed spun yarn and the other series of threads is formed of skein dyed filament yarn, removing the hair-like fibres from the surface of the fabric, removing non-fibrous and sizing materials from the fabric, impregnating the fabric with a resin and disruptingfthe bonds of the individual particles of resin, calendering the fabric and finishing the fabric to size and shape.

HAROLD C. ROCKETT. 

